U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report March 1999, NCJ 171145 Carjackings in the United States, 1992-96 By Patsy Klaus BJS Statistician Highlights An average of about 49,000 completed Carjackings or attempted nonfatal carjackings took Annual average, 1992-96 Total Completed Attempted place each year in the United States Number of incidents 48,787 24,520 24,267 between 1992 and 1996. In about half Number of victimizations 53,452 27,710 25,742 of the incidents, the offender was Rate per 10,000 persons 2.5 1.3 1.2 successful in taking the victim s motor All carjackings 100% 100% 100% vehicle. In addition, although data on No weapon 17 8* 25 fatal carjackings are not available, Total with weapon 83 92 75 about 27 homicides by strangers each Firearm 47 72 22* year involved automobile theft. Some Knife, other, or unknown 36 20 52 of these may have been carjackings. Percent of carjackings Carjacking, as defined in this report, is With injury 16% 23% 10% a completed or attempted theft in which Reported to the police 79 100 57 a motor vehicle is taken by force or *Based on fewer than 10 sample cases. threat of force. It differs from other motor vehicle theft, which does not y Carjacking is defined as completed y About half of all carjackings were include incidents in which the offender or attempted robbery of a motor completed. vehicle by a stranger to the victim. used force or threats of force to obtain y About 7 of 10 completed carjackings It differs from other motor vehicle the vehicle. As explained in Meth- involved firearms, compared to 2 theft because the victim is present odology on page 5, only incidents in of 10 attempted carjackings. which offenders were strangers to the and the offender uses or threatens victim were included in this report, to use force. y Most carjackings, completed or attempted, did not result in injury except where otherwise noted. Car- ù Carjackings resulting in murder of to the victims. jackings that resulted in the murder the victim(s) are not covered by the of the victim(s) are not covered by the National Crime Victimization Survey. y All of the completed carjackings National Crime Victimization Survey According to FBI data, however, each identified by the survey were reported (NCVS). year about 27 homicides by strangers to the police, while more than half of involved automobile theft. These the attempts were reported. Data about murders that involved incidents may have been carjackings. automobile theft were obtained from the Uniform Crime Reports, collected y Between 1992 and 1996 an average by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. of about 49,000 attempted or com- pleted carjackings occurred in the United States each year. Characteristics of nonfatal Generally the categories of people the Table 2. Measures that victims carjackings most vulnerable to nonfatal carjacking of carjacking took to protect were those observed to be the most themselves, 1992-96 Each year between 1992 and 1996, vulnerable to violent crime overall. an average of about 2.5 per 10,000 Men were more frequently victimized Self-protective Percent of all persons age 12 or older were victims than women; blacks more often than measure carjackings of a completed or attempted carjacking whites; Hispanics, than non-Hispanics; Total 100% (table 1). and divorced, separated, or never- No resistance 38 Threatened/attacked married persons, than those who were with weapon 3* Ninety-two percent of carjacking married or widowed. Urban residents Unarmed confrontational incidents involved one victim, and were more likely to experience carjack- resistancea 16 Nonconfrontational actionsb 34 1% involved three or more victims. ing than suburban or rural residents. Other 9* Persons over age 50 had lower rates Number of victims Percent of *Based on fewer than 10 sample cases. in an incident incidents than younger persons, but there were aIncludes attacking the offender, chasing or 1 92% no clear patterns by household income. trying to capture the offender, and other similar methods. 2 7* b 3 or more 1* Includes running away, calling for help, trying A weapon of some type was used to get attention, screaming, and other similar *Based on fewer than 10 sample cases. in 83% of all carjackings (Highlights methods. and figure 1). Firearms were used Most carjacking victims were not Table 1. Characteristics of carjacking in 72% of completed carjackings and victims, by rates per 10,000 persons, 22% of attempts. Overall, firearms injured. About 16% of victims of 1992-96 were used in almost half of total nonfa- attempted or completed carjackings Annual average tal carjacking incidents. were injured. Serious injuries, such rates of attempted as gunshot or knife wounds, broken or completed Thirty-eight percent of carjacking bones, internal injuries, and loss of Victim carjackings consciousness, occurred in about 4% characteristic per 10,000 persons victims offered no resistance to the Total 2.5 offender (table 2). Nineteen percent of all carjackings. More minor injuries, used confrontational resistance, such such as bruises, chipped teeth, and Age as threatening the offender with a other similar injuries, occurred in about 12 to 24 2.5 13% of all carjackings. 25 to 49 3.6 weapon, attacking the offender, chas- 50 or older 0.9 ing or trying to capture the offender, Percent of victims of and other similar methods. A third attempted or completed Sex of victims used nonconfrontational Type of injury carjackings Male 3.1 Uninjured 84% Female 1.9 methods, such as running away, calling Serious injuriesa 4* for help, trying to get attention, and Minor injuries 13* Race other similar methods. Data were not White 2.0 *Based on fewer than 10 sample cases. Black 6.0 sufficient to analyze the relative impact aIncludes gunshot or knife wounds, Other 2.2* of various self-defense methods on broken bones, internal injuries, and carjacking completion or victim injury. loss of consciousness. Ethnicity Hispanic 6.1 Non-Hispanic 2.2 The offender carried a gun in almost three- fourths of completed, nonfatal carj ackings Marital status Never married 4.1 Weapon present during carjacking Married 1.4 Widowed 1.7* Attempted Divorced/separated 4.3 No weapon Completed Household income Less than $15,000 2.9 Firearm $15,000 to $34,999 2.0 $35,000 to $49,999 3.2 $50,000 or more 2.4 Other weapon/unknown Location of residence 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Urban 4.0 Percent of carjacking incidents Suburban 2.4 Rural 0.7* Figure 1 Note: Based on NCVS data. Does not include carjackings involving murder. *Based on fewer than 10 sample cases. 2 Carjackings in the United States, 1992-96 About 13% of surveyed carjacking reported that multiple offenders of About 65% of carjacking incidents victims were treated in hospital more than one race committed the occurred within 5 miles of the victim s emergency departments or outside crime. home. About 5% of the carjackings hospital settings, such as in doctors happened more than 50 miles from offices or at the crime scene. About Of the daytime carjacking incidents, the victim s home. 3% of victims did not seek medical almost 2 in 3 were completed. Less treatment even though they were than half of the nighttime incidents All of the completed carjacking injured. were completed. incidents identified by the survey were reported to the police. More than half Medical Percent of Time of Com- At- of the attempted incidents were also treatment carjacking victims occurrence All pleted tempted reported, according to the victims. Injured Total 100% 50% 50% Emergency room, Day Percent of carjackings doctor s office, (6 a.m.-6 p.m.) 100 64 36 reported to the police crime scene 13% Night All 79% Untreated 3 (6 p.m.-6 a.m.) 100 42 58 Completed 100 Uninjured 84% Attempted 57 Most carjacking incidents occurred Carjacking victims received at least Carjacking incidents were about evenly away from the victim s home. Forty partial recovery of their property in 7 divided between those committed by a percent occurred in an open area, such of 10 completed incidents. Fifteen lone offender and those committed by as on the street (other than adjacent to percent of completed carjackings more than one offender (table 3). the victim’s home or the home of a involved recovery of all property. friend or neighbor), near a bus, Incidents with partial recovery most Males committed 97% of carjacking subway, or train station or near an likely involved the recovery of vehicles incidents, and groups with both males airport (table 4). Twenty percent either damaged or missing stolen and females committed 3%. occurred in parking lots or near articles. commercial places like stores, restau- Fifty-eight percent of carjacking rants, gas stations, and office Recovery Percent of completed of property carjackings incidents were committed by offenders buildings. whom the victim perceived to be black, All 15% Part 56 and 19% were committed by offenders Although carjackings often occurred None 27 perceived to be white. In 5% of away from the victim s home, they Unknown 2* carjacking incidents, the victim(s) usually did not occur very far away. *Based on fewer than 10 sample cases. Table 3. Characteristics of carjacking offenders, 1992-96 Table 4. Places where carjackings occurred, 1992-96 Percent of carjacking incidents Percent of Characteristic of incident All Completed Attempted completed Total 100% 100% 100% or attempted Characteristic and nonfatal of carjackers carjackings Place of occurrence At or near victim’s/friend’s/neighbor’s home 26% 25% 26% Total 100% Commercial place/parking lota 20 16* 25 Open area/public transportationb 40 46 35 Number in incident Other 13 13* 14 1 45% 2 or more 55 Distance from home Sexa At/near home 22% 25% 19%* All male 97% 1 mile or less 22 27* 18* Both male and female 3* 5 miles or less 21 16* 26 50 miles or less 30 30 29 More than 50 miles 5* 3* 8* Racea White 19% *Based on fewer than 10 sample cases.